Not too long ago I was speaking out against proactiv because i felt it had limited effectiveness and didn't ship as often as it should have.

After having someone explain to me that I wasn't using it correctly, I realized that's why I wasnt getting results. Now I know that my admitting that I wasn't using proactiv correctly must sound ridulculously lame, because how could you screw up simply washing, toning and treating your face, right? Well, you can.

As far as Proactiv goes, the cleanser needs to be massaged into DAMP skin, not WET skin. A normal face wash works BETTER with wet skin, but this one does not, because it is not a lathering formula. It needs to be massaged in for about a minute, so I have actually started to count.

Toner works best on 100% cotton balls (one of the reasons I used to break out on proactiv was because I wasn't using real cotton balls, i was using synthetic ones that were irritating my skin really bad) and when put on your face using an upward, outward motion (starting from t-zone outward). Ive noticed this helps clean the skin better.

As far as the lotion goes, there's nothing special there. I just put it on, but take extra care to massage it in a little more so it doesn't just simply sit on top of my skin.

Basically, for Proactiv to really have good results you have to make sure the product really penetrates, especially the face wash. I've seen people in the boards saying proactiv didnt work for them, but im figuring maybe some people, like me, werent using it right.

The toner can sting a little at first, if your skin isn't used to it's ingredients, but I would try and use a moisturizer afterwards and always include the toner in your routine. As far as the moisturizer, I use Neutogena oil free moisture for sensitive skin, which doesnt make me break out at all.

The toner has glycolic acid in it, which is really, really great for fading scars and even making them more shallow because of its exfoliating properties, so skipping it would make you lose those benefits.

Wow. Maybe that's why it didn't work for me. The toner always stung my face too. Just a quick question; Is your acne mild or severe? I recently heard that Proactiv only provides good results to people with mild acne. Mine is severe so I'm not sure if I should try it again.

Interesting, now I'm tempted to try it again (already have tried it twice). Each time it would work somewhat in the beginning and then it would do NOTHING. I have moderate to severe acne. I'm on Accutane now but maybe when I'm off of it...I'm afraid of my acne coming back.

I've actually heard alot of people say that... about skin adapting to proactiv and building a tolerance to it. That's never happened to me, or at least i hasn't yet, and ive been using it the right way for about 2 months now.

The only problem with Proactiv is that when you first start it, the scrub and bp work together to bring everything up to the surface of your skin, so the first two weeks or so of using it aren't too pretty. For me, its only gotten better from there though. Proactiv actually made my skin look better than 5 treatments of microderm did ( when I learned how to use it right), but it could just be that my microderm process wasnt done right.

Your lucky yours is mild.... proactiv will probably clear you up in like 1-2 weeks and you wont get any new spots while your on it most likely.

does anyone know if the ingredient allantoin helps plump skin and smooth scars? i heard thats the purpose of allantoin in proactiv toner, but im not really sure. my scarring has become alot less obvious while on it, but i dont know because it could be just healing over time.

Your lucky yours is mild.... proactiv will probably clear you up in like 1-2 weeks and you wont get any new spots while your on it most likely.

does anyone know if the ingredient allantoin helps plump skin and smooth scars? i heard thats the purpose of allantoin in proactiv toner, but im not really sure. my scarring has become alot less obvious while on it, but i dont know because it could be just healing over time.

Proactiv seems to be bringing all the dirt to the surface, and making my pores easier to clean out. It's definitely working....I just hope it continues to.

Allantoin is active in skin-softening (keratolytic effect) and rapid cell regeneration (it brings proteins to the skin). So yes, it is supposed to soften and renew the skin. It is not a miracle ingredient in my opinion, but effective if used religiously.